Produced by the multi-talented team of Narci Regina and Samantha Lyn Parry, each five, one-act production is uniquely different, but each has a common thread. That being, the single beating heart of family. All five plays are co-written and/or co-directed by women and deal with issues that include race, homophobia, neglect and forgiveness in poignant, and often comedic, ways.

AXS recently spoke with Narci Regina and Samantha Lyn Parry about “This Is Family” and more in this exclusive new interview.

How did the production of “This Is Family” come together?

Samantha Lyn Parry: It really started with a play that I wrote, “Brothers and Sisters and Husbands and Wives.” It was so personal and meant a lot to me and I knew I wanted to put it on somewhere in Philadelphia. I started looking into one-act festivals but knew that I needed a team and other plays to be a part of it. So, I reached out to people from my school and was amazed to see how many people were enthusiastic about wanting to be a part of it.

What can you tell me about the show and theme for “This Is Family”?

Narci Regina: “This Is Family” is five, one act, all-original plays written by students at Playhouse West. Each act reflects different themes of family. There are traditional families and non-traditional families as well as comedy and drama.

SLP: There are so many different forms of family out there, and this show is about what constitutes a family nowadays.

How would describe the stories of your one act play?

SLP: “Brothers and Sisters and Husbands and Wives” is one that I’m directing. It’s the story about a husband and wife and their two kids (a brother and sister) who get together for the holidays. A fight breaks out between them because none of them are able to communicate with each other. It follows the family and what happens to them.The other play, “As I Am”, is one that I wrote and star in and tells the story about a gay couple. My character has never told my mom about me being gay, and my girlfriend is upset with me because I can’t come to terms with who I am. It’s about the need to be comfortable with yourself in order to be in a relationship with someone else.

NR: My one act, “Home”, is a story I co-wrote with Bethany Sketchley. It’s about two sisters that were abandoned by their mom at a young age. It talks about their relationship with each other growing up in a group home and the different ideologies they have. A secret is revealed in the one-act that may ruin their relationship.